Banksy82

This was the worry I was avoiding with the above. (I could have been clearer!) When reducing the diameter or the tip I also turned the shoulder back so the 'extra' bearing length hung out of the back of the input shaft. Dimensions are such that the amount of 'tip' that extends past the end of the bearing (and therefore the clearance inside the input shaft bore) remained the same as the original. I also bought the 13mm needle bearing but felt that it was too short.

I have been very pleased with the results; no untoward noises and box works just fine. 1st is sometimes a little reluctant to engage but I don't think is related to the main shaft/input shaft joint. However... I have only driven 1100 miles since the repair which I would suggest is not enough to call it a fix. I haven't had the box apart since to inspect the repair so who knows what it currently looks like! It required turning the tip down to 12mm from 1/2" (12.7mm) so around a 6% reduction in an already known weak spot. With the above in mind I can't recommend the repair. I had a good number of things to do to get the car driving where I want it(still do!) so was going for the cheapest viable solution to the issues I encountered. If it was just the gearbox that needed work I think I would stump up the cash for a replacement shaft. That being said if you decide to attempt the same I used IR12x5x16 for the race and K15x19x17 for the needle bearing. Even the branded items are reasonably priced. As the new bearing is slightly longer than the original I also made sure the projection of the shaft through the bearing remained as it was with the original (I measured mine to be 3.0+/-0.1mm) so that the extra length couldn't cause any interference in the input shaft bore. Also the tip is hard. Unbranded Chinese carbide wouldn't touch it. I had to use some Sandvik inserts that I happened to have knocking around. Grinding would be better if you can be sure not to temper the steel. Hope this is of some use. Karl.

Does anyone have a spitfire Hardtop MKIV / 1500 without too much rot available? Not looking for perfect. I'm looking for the factory steel top rather than the fibreglass aftermarket types. Based in North Wales but happy to travel up to 60 or so miles to collect. Thanks Karl

Thanks for the info.. That is my worry, I'll attempt to add some goo! It's the only one I have found that states it is for windscreens in rubber so I'll give it a go. As for technique the manual seems to suggest that I should seal the screen into the rubber - fit the screen to the car and then seal the rubber to the frame... What could possibly go wrong!

I need to do this myself in the next week or two. Can I ask, did you use any kind of mastic to seal the screen and frame to the rubber? My workshop manual calls for Seelastik SR51 which is - of course - obsolete! Replacing due to perished rubber leaking and would rather not have it still leak with new rubber! Thanks

Thanks Clive, I'm in North Wales but happy to travel a couple of hours both ways to collect. Already ordered a Baines seal. Spoke to a local windscreen chap who has been in the business for many years and he said that triumph seals and trim haunt his dreams!

Does anybody have a decent condition windscreen available for a MKIV Spitfire? Mine has begun to delaminate. I was going to leave it but the perished seal is now leaking and I don't fancy fighting to get a failing screen back in the car with new rubber only to find it blooms in a few months! Cheers Karl

You can think of it as an extra gear. It is a planetary gearset that is switched in or out. If you switch it in too soon it might appear that you lose power just like changing up a gear too early. (although I can't say I've noticed it myself).

Looking for an original long O/S (drivers) driveshaft for a 1500 or late MKIV with a decent bearing surface if anyone has a spare? A PO had replaced one of mine with a short one! Many Thanks Karl

I am struggling to track down a decent used long driveshaft. There are a few on eBay with trunnion / bearings still attached and I am a little worried that the shaft surface may be damaged. I'm considering some of the new options but have heard that the yoke to shaft connection on some are questionable. Best I could see it that the Fitchett offerings are okay. Does anyone have any opinions on this either way? (Or a redundant long half shaft languishing in the corner of the garage they want to sell - I've put a request on the 'wanted' pages. Thanks All

Looking at the design it looks like the half shafts are essentially the bottom link to the rear upright so I would imagine these see more load 'down the shaft' than the prop does? I'd be tempted to use the HD ones on the half shafts!

Thank you very much Gentlemen!

All parts checked over and it looks like the only incorrect part is the one short driveshaft so not the end of the world. Not going to be fixed for the weekend but maybe before Christmas! It seems prudent to replace bearings and overhaul the UJ when replacing the shaft. I have heard horror stories about UJ spiders - Does anyone have any input on the best ones to get (or ones to avoid!) Thanks Karl

Hi Al, I have had a couple of Spitfires and would second what has been said by Yorkshire_spam regarding bodywork. One thing specifically to look out for is that although the Spitfire is a tub on chassis design, the chassis is very narrow down the centre with the sills of the body tub being structural. The upshot of this is if the body isn't braced correctly when the sills are replaced the whole thing can sag in the middle leading to shut lines that are all over the place. Even on an example with good bodywork pay careful attention to the door gaps to check previous work has maintained alignment. I know from experience that fixing a drooping body is a real pain! Of the two cars I have had the first was mechanically very good with poorly repaired bodywork and the current one has reasonable bodywork but has suffered from many miles and is mechanically sad. I can say with confidence that I much prefer dealing with the oily bits! Karl

Managed to get out to the car today. Using the correct puller I have removed one hub without any drama at all - must have been a poor fit after the previous abuse! Obviously with this car nothing is straightforward and it looks like someone has installed a short driveshaft on the O/S! My Comm. number is well into the 50000s so I believe that it should have the long ones. The car had been 'restored' a couple of owners back and I have very little info on what had been done. I suppose there is a possibility they have installed the parts from an earlier car symmetrically but unfortunately light and my tolerance of the cold has stopped play for the day. I thought I would try and arm myself with some info for tomorrow. From the research I have done the only different parts I can find are the shafts themselves, the radius arms and the body mounting brackets. I have read that the early radius arms have the bush eyes at 90 degrees to the shaft whereas the late ones are angled. Looking at mine it looks like they are angled but it is really subtle. The question I have is are there any dimensions or photos of the differences in the brackets / radius arms between the early and late setups so I can try and work out what motley collection of bits I have? Cheers Karl

I am from an engineering background myself (on the design side) and I am well aware of the theory behind not shock loading bearings - hence my question about possible damage in the first place. I also have enough experience to know that some things work in practice and not in theory! 🙂This is what makes all of the responses on here valuable. I think as the hub does have to come off and that multiple people have had to take to the BFH to achieve this; once I have put as much torque on the puller as I can if the hub isn't free it is the way to go. (Good bearings are useless with a bent hub still attached!) Thanks All Karl

Middle of North Wales!

Fab, Thank you - Beer owed!

Good advice! I'm hoping to leave the shaft on the car is there any real risk to the wheel bearings or the bearings in the UJ and diff when clouting the puller? Cheers

Tried a normal hub puller and got it to the point where something was going to give.. as I quite like my puller I stopped and I have ordered the correct one! Just replacement drive flanges to find! Does anyone know of any decent breakers? I've come across Spit-Bitz and spitfire graveyard in the past but are there any gems I've missed? Cheers Karl

Might be worth a try - I think all of the pullers I have may be too big but I'll give it a go. Can't break it any more!

Thank you for the words of experience. I've heard stories of front trunnions (or more correctly the knuckle) failing but not the rear. I bet losing a wheel wakes you up pretty quickly! I'm sure you are right about just fitting new but I am as always trying to do this on a budget - I've done some work on the Engine, gearbox and overdrive and I am fairly happy with those for now but I still have the front suspension to look at before I am comfortable with the car and judging by the rest of the car the diff can't wait forever! Even forgetting the bearings; for new I would be looking at £130 per side plus shipping and then another £60 for shoes and drums etc. Add £100 for the correct puller and I am looking at over £400! Hopefully I can pick up a pair of good used flanges for reasonable money and I'm sure they will tide me over! Once I have the car to a point I would be happy to drive distance I will start to think about which jobs I skimped on the most! Karl

I'm in mid North Wales and there doesn't seem to be a great deal of activity out here! They are much more money than I would like to spend on a likely 2 or 3 use tool over my lifetime but I usually don't need much excuse to acquire tools. He who dies with the most tools wins!

I remember seeing them from time to time at that sort of price on eBay when I had my last spitfire... No such luck now!

It really is a bizarre thing! The bearings were bought in 2012 so if the damage happened then we are talking 10 years of use in this state! Admittedly it hasn't done many miles in that time... The last recodred mileage in the paperwork in 72k in 2008 and it is only on 74 now! I wonder why 😄